Quality Management and Awards
System Accreditation
Accreditation at the Nürtingen-Geislingen University
Through the implementation of a system accreditation, the university’s quality management system is certified. Very high standards are applied in this process. Checks are carried out to ascertain that all the formal requirements for the bachelor’s and master’s programs are adhered to. Evidence must be provided that all the internal structures and processes guarantee a high quality in the programs and that a systematic procedure is in place which is used to continuously evaluate and develop the degree programs on offer.
System accreditation is a very complex procedure that demands high standards from the whole university. One of the rewards is the autonomy the university gains. Another one is that the university as an institution commits itself to high quality standards and systematically strives to achieve them.
The AQAS accreditation committee has granted system accreditation to Nürtingen-Geislingen University on 13 November 2013 and awarded the accreditation council’s seal.
Nürtingen-Geislingen University has therefore successfully completed the system accreditation process. Having been awarded system accreditation, the University is now entitled to accredit its own degree programs provided all the relevant legal requirements are adhered to, and to award these programs with the accreditation council’s seal.
In Germany, Nürtingen-Geislingen is the fifteenth university of applied sciences to be system accredited. In Baden-Württemberg it is in 4th place.
In 2021, Nürtingen-Geislingen University, together with Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart (HdM) and Furtwangen University (HFU), applied for the alternative procedure. This procedure provides for the quality management systems of the participating universities to be monitored, assessed and further developed by independent quality advisory boards during the entire accreditation period. Together with its partners, Nürtingen-Geislingen University is thus embarking on a new approach to quality assurance that is unique in Germany to date.
In 2023, Nürtingen-Geislingen University successfully completed the system accreditation in the alternative procedure and was awarded the seal of the Accreditation Council. This means that the university's own system for quality assurance in teaching and learning has once again been certified. This accreditation is equivalent to the previous accreditation by AQAS and even more ambitious.
On the website of the Accreditation Council you will find further information on the alternative procedure:
www.akkreditierungsrat.de/en/accreditation-system/alternative-procedures/alternative-procedures
Awards, Rankings and Comittments
SZ Institute of the Süddeutschen Zeitung
In its 2026 Continuing Education Ranking, the SZ Institute of the Süddeutsche Zeitung awarded NGU a “top” rating in the categories of Digital, Leadership & Management, and Finance & Economics. The ranking evaluated 84 universities nationwide—including leading international business schools and comprehensive universities. NGU is the only state university of applied sciences in Baden-Württemberg to receive a triple “top” rating.
CHE Ranking
Nürtingen-Geislingen University ranks among the best in CHE University Ranking
Students at the NGU give the business administration programs as well as the programs in Future Economics, Business Psychology, and Business Law at their university good to very good grades. In terms of the general conditions of study, such as opportunities for professional contacts or support at the start of studies, NGU ranks among the top group of universities nationwide. These are the findings of the CHE University Ranking, the most comprehensive university comparison in the German-speaking world.
StudyCheck
Excellent results for the university in the nationwide StudyCheck ranking and in Baden-Württemberg
NGU ranks 10th among Germany's most highly rated universities in the 5,000 to 15,000 student category. This result is based on a ranking compiled by the StudyCheck portal. In the overall ranking for Baden-Württemberg (higher education institutions), NGU has improved to 5th place.
EMAS
The European Union's “EMAS” certification mark for environmental management and environmental auditing (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) is a concrete component of sustainable development.
Through its environmental management system/EMAS, HfWU aims to continuously improve its environmental performance and demonstrate its sustainability by reducing its carbon footprint.
On July 31, 2013, HfWU received notification of its registration in the list of verified sites under the EC Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) 1221/2009 from the Hochrhein-Bodensee Chamber of Industry and Commerce.
On August 1, 2013, the Stuttgart Region Chamber of Industry and Commerce sent the certificates of registration to HfWU.
TOTAL E-QUALITY
In 2025, HfWU was awarded the TOTAL E-QUALITY certification for the fifth time.
TOTAL E-QUALITY Deutschland e.V. aims to establish and sustainably embed equal opportunities for women and men in the workplace. The focus is on promoting women to leadership positions. In addition to work-life balance, the initiative addresses equitable recruitment and development, the promotion of collaborative behavior in the workplace, and the integration of equal opportunity into corporate principles.
The TOTAL E-QUALITY certification recognizes companies and institutions whose personnel and organizational policies are guided by equal opportunity and whose goal is to foster the potential of their employees. The TOTAL E-Quality certification is valid for 3 years.
Diversity Charter
